WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Following a two-week layoff, the Anderson University track and field teams returned to the Tar Heel State and wrapped up their indoor seasons by posting impressive performances at the UCS Invitational, held at the JDL Fast Track on Saturday.
Senior Savanna Keese finished fourth in the weight throw with a toss of 15.31 meters, while sophomore Olivia Gardner earned a sixth-place finish in the women's 5000 meter run with a time of 18:45.31. Sophomore Sherin Malone captured 11th in the preliminaries of the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 9.12, with freshman Ali Caldwell (11.22) notching 29th.
Sophomore Bari Robinson crossed the line in 15th place with a time of 2:25.31 in the 800 meter run, while freshman Taylor Morris claimed 28th in a time of 2:32.61. The freshman duo of Haylee Love (5:24.63) and Alex Dixon (5:39.87) finished 21st and 33rd, respectively in the one mile run. Sophomores Grace Gerlock (11:24.01) and Mia Swierzs (11:25.42) claimed 24th and 26th, respectively, in the 3000 meter run, with freshman Allison Halperin crossing the line in 27th in a time of 11:48.96.
Caldwell brought home 36th place in the 400 meter run in a time of 1:11.23, while the combination of Sydney Hazel, Malone, Robinson and Gardner claimed seventh in the women's distance medley.
Freshman Mason Hazel captured third place in the men's 5000 meter run in a time of 14:56.39, with sophomores Ned Kennedy (16:16.97) and Ben Boerma (16:56.80) finishing 17th and 20th, respectively. Hazel crossed the line in a time of 8:52.38 to place ninth in the 3000 meter run, while sophomores Jesse Patrick (9:45.04) and Michael Burch (9:47.65) placed 33rd and 36th.
Freshman Christopher Burton claimed fifth place in the men's 200 meter dash in a time of 22.52, with classmates Rashod Monts (23.12), T.J. Robinson (23.99) and Joseph Siegwald (24.12) finishing 16th, 37th and 40th, respectively.
Freshman Anthony Aleruchi finished 10th in the weight throw with a toss of 10.70 meters and claimed 11th in the shot put with a distance of 12.83 meters. Sophomore Eric Hoover took 12th in the triple jump with a distance of 12.48 meters and junior Joshua Visi-Clark finished 27th in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:03.30.
Monts brought home 20th in the 400 meter run in a time of 52.48, while Jonathan Shorter (55.50) finished 42nd and Hoover placed 46th in a time of 56.21. Burton (6.02 meters) claimed 24th in the long jump, with Siegwald finishing 27th with a distance of 5.73 meters.
Burton crossed the line in a time of 7.09 to claim 22nd in the 60 meter dash prelims, with Caleb Stephenson (7.16) and Robinson (7.26) earning 31st and 36th. The 4x400 meter relay team of Monts, Burton, Visi-Clark and Stephenson brought home 11th with a time of 3:35.76.
The Trojans begin their outdoor slate at the Coastal Carolina
Invitational in mid-March.
